Nets' dark-horse No. 8 pick candidate rising up draft boards
The post Nets' dark-horse No. 8 pick candidate rising up draft boards appeared first on ClutchPoints.
The Brooklyn Nets can go several directions with their first selection in next month's draft. Their fall to the No. 8 pick put several household college names, such as Jeremiah Fears, Tre Johnson, Kon Kneuppel and Khaman Maluach, within their range. However, French phenom Noa Essengue is creeping into the conversation as he continues to flash his raw potential overseas.
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Bleacher Report and Yahoo Sports have the Nets selecting the 6-foot-9 forward in their latest projections.
'In the past two drafts, we've rebuilding teams swing for upside overseas with the Wizards taking Bilal Coulibaly and the Hornets grabbing Tijane Salaun. The Nets have no high-upside prospects on the roster and could be enticed by the draft's second-youngest prospects who can make threes, attack, finish and defend all over,' said Jonathan Wasserman. '[Essengue's] improving on-ball skill and rising offensive production are becoming notable draft storylines, considering he's the draft's second-youngest prospect who also offers exciting defensive tools and movement.'
Essengue is putting together one of his best runs of the season while playing for Ratiopharm Ulm in the BBL, Germany's top professional league. The 18-year-old has averaged 12.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 53.3 percent shooting in 22.0 minutes per game over his last eight appearances.
ESPN has moved the Frenchman up to No. 9 in its latest Top 100 big board.
Will Sean Marks, Nets take a chance on Noa Essengue with No. 8 pick?
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
In the early stages of a rebuild, there is no question that the Nets should prioritize the best player available at No. 8 rather than drafting for positional need. However, there has been much deliberation about what that entails: do they opt for a safe prospect with a high floor or take a swing on upside?
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Noa Essengue would fall into the latter category. The 18-year-old's fluid athleticism, transition ball handling, finishing ability, playmaking flashes and defensive tools inspire hope that he can develop into a dominant two-way force. His ability to reach that ceiling will depend on several swing skills.
First, his jumpshot must reach a respectable level. While he's shown flashes in that area, he's shot just 25.5 percent from distance across 52 appearances this season. His half-court ball-handling is just ok at this point, limiting his ability as a self-creator. And while he possesses the tools of an elite defender, his body positioning and awareness still have room for improvement.
None of this should be surprising given Essengue's youth. He's the second-youngest player in this year's class, only three days older than Cooper Flagg. His production at the professional level at such a young age should be a green flag for front offices.
Essengue has been a foul-drawing machine this season, attempting 7.5 free throws per 36 minutes and converting 72.0 percent. The young forward has displayed a soft touch on his drives, shooting 64.2 percent on twos. He's produced at this level offensively despite his raw handle and inconsistent jump shot.
Overall, Essengue has the tools to develop into a home-run pick if he's able to round out the less-polished aspects of his game. However, he doesn't currently possess an elite skill outside of his impressive measurables and athleticism.
If the Nets are confident in his player archetype and development trajectory, he could be their guy at No. 8. If not, they could opt for a safer pick with an established college star.
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